Arts Law Centre of Australia

The Arts Law Centre of Australia is a national, not-for-profit community centre which seeks to provide legal services to artists and arts organisation. In addition, it seeks to engage with Indigenous artists through the ‘Artists in the Black’ program. The centre advises clients on a number of arts related legal issues, including contracts, copyright, moral rights, trade marks, business names and structures, defamation, insurance and employment.

Law students may apply to be daytime volunteers, interns or note-takers at the centre. Daytime volunteers provide invaluable assistance to the legal team at the Arts Law Centre. They are required to undertake legal research, communicate with clients, compose written instructions to be reviewed by lawyers and perform administrative tasks.

Aurora Project Internship

The Aurora Native Title Internship Program places legal, anthropology and some social science students and graduates in unpaid internships at Native Title Representative Bodies (NTRBs) and other organisations working in native title, policy development, human rights and social justice, all with a focus on Indigenous affairs. The program not only provides much needed assistance to host organisations but also promotes career opportunities by raising awareness of the NTRB system and attracts students and graduates to work in the sector. The quality of the students is demonstrated by the eagerness of NTRBs and other hosts to retain alumni of the program on a longer-term basis. Unpaid 5 to 6 week full-time internships are offered to law students. We match interns to organisations working in native title, land rights, policy development, social justice and human rights – all with an Indigenous focus.

Linkz Inc.

Linkz Incorporated is a not for profit organisation that has been established to foster connections and partnerships between Indigenous and non-Indigenous Australians, building a culture of social inclusion, equity and participation. As a youth-led organisation our focus is on engaging with children, young people and their communities across Australia and particularly those living in regional and remote areas.

Through our student volunteer program we aim to build a widespread sense of pride in the strength, diversity and value of Indigenous culture for all Australians.

We offer volunteer opportunities to students, through our Linkz Odyssey Program. The Linkz Odyssey Program is a multifaceted initiative which aims to deliver sport, recreation and youth services to remote Indigenous communities. These services are aimed at minimising the impact of “at risk” behaviours and social issues for young people and their communities, focusing on prevention, diversion, education and development.

Australian Pro Bono Centre

The Centre is an independent, non profit organisation that aims to encourage pro bono legal services throughout the legal profession, support lawyers and law firms to make it easier for them to provide high quality pro bono legal services, and work with the profession and the community sector to match services with the clients and groups most in need of assistance.

The Centre also manages the Social Justice Opportunities website (www.sjopps.net.au), which is a resource for law students and new lawyers that provides information on volunteering and finding a job in the social justice sector, including current listings. We offer volunteer placements and accept applications at any time, however we generally only do an intake 2-3 times per year.

Refugee Advice & Casework Service

RACS is the oldest community legal centre that specialises in providing advice to asylum seekers. It is a not-for-profit incorporated organisation that relies on funding from the Department of Immigration and Citizenship, donations from the community and extensive volunteer support.

Nationally, RACS works to provide expert legal advice, case management and representation to asylum seekers who are applying for Protection Visas, in order to help them remain in Australia. They also provide referrals in relation to broader social concerns, such as health, welfare, accommodation, education, training and language development. RACS also provides community briefing sessions for the wider community. Furthermore, RACS also participates in policy research and development and law reform debates, particularly as it relates to the rights of those seeking asylum in Australia. This occurs via advocacy at the Department of Immigration and Citizenship and the Refugee Review Tribunal liaison meetings. They also make submissions to the Senate Legal and Constitutional References Committee.

RACS works with a number of other organisations, including: the Red Cross; Amnesty International; the Asylum Seekers Centre (ASC); the House of Welcome; the Legal Aid Commission of NSW; and the Refugee Council of Australia (RCOA).

All employment positions are listed on their website. RACS also has a student volunteer program, with 8-10 volunteers working approximately one day a week over a period of 6 months.

Teachabout Inc.

Teachabout is an emerging not-for-profit organisation that runs a school holiday program for kids in the remote Aboriginal community of Minyerri. Teachabout aims to run activities in which learning is empowering, encouraging and enjoyable. Our philosophy is that if kids learn in a positive, supportive and culturally respectful environment then they will have the confidence to participate and succeed in further education opportunities, whatever they may be.

Applications are currently taken bi-annually. There are usually two stages to the interview process. During the first stage, applicants are interviewed by two members of the Teachabout management committee. This is followed by a group interview for those who progress. We are in the process of looking a continuous recruitment approach. In any case, we will accept expressions of interest at any time of the year.

UN Women (the Australian National Committee)

The Australian National Committee for UN Women represents UN Women in Australia. The National Committee raises funds for projects promoting gender equality throughout the world and advocates for greater awareness of gender equality issues in Australia. The key thematic focus areas of the organisation are; ending violence against women, increasing women’s political participation, women’s economic empowerment and including women in conflict resolution and peace building processes.

The National Committee runs three major campaigns throughout the year, the largest being International Women’s Day (celebrated globally on March 8). This year more than 35,000 people attended more than 380 events around the country, raising funds to help women experiencing violence in Papua New Guinea access critical services.

The National Committee has a small staff team located in Canberra. We also regularly recruits for internship rounds and has volunteer Chapters in most capital cities where individuals can register their interest in becoming more involved (more information available on our website). We also have a volunteer register for anyone interested in volunteering at our National Office in Canberra.

UNICEF Australia

UNICEF is the United Nations Children’s Fund. UNICEF’s vision is of a world where the basic rights of every child will be met. UNICEF works in over 190 countries to promote and protect the rights of children. The world’s largest provider of vaccines for developing countries, UNICEF supports child health and nutrition, clean water and sanitation, quality basic education for all boys and girls, and the protection of children from violence, exploitation, and HIV.

In Australia, UNICEF advocates for the rights of all children to be realised and works to improve public and government support for child rights and international development.

We offer unpaid internships, with quarterly intakes into the Advocacy Team. Each quarter sees us recruit one intern, so the competition is intense, but the intern role is equally challenging and important. There are also Communications Internships, but this may not be as relevant to Law Students.

Voiceless

Voiceless is an independent, non-profit think tank focused on raising awareness of animals suffering in factory farming and the kangaroo industry in Australia. Our vision is for a world in which animals are treated with respect and compassion. The law is central to our mission. Most importantly, we are working to grow the discipline of animal law and give better legal protections to factory farmed animals and kangaroos in Australia.

We offer unpaid internships and volunteering opportunities for students in their penultimate or final year of law studies.

World Food Programme

As the world’s largest humanitarian organization fighting hunger worldwide, the World Food Programme is the United Nations’ frontline agency mandated to combat global hunger, which afflicts one out of every eight people on earth. In 2011, the agency was able to provide life-saving food and nutrition assistance for nearly 100 million people affected by conflict, earthquakes, flooding, droughts, displacement, financial crises and other shocks that left them without food, in 75 countries around the world; nearly 83 million of these beneficiaries were women and children. Please consult the website www.wfp.org for more information.

In 2011 WFP’s food assistance reached nearly 100 million people in 75 countries around the world. The vast majority – nearly 83 million – were women and children.

The Legal Office in WFP offers paid a limited number of internships, providing a stipend of (US$ 700/month) to law students, unless the university provides funding.